Orsha-based human rights defenders Vasil Berasneu and
Vasil Leuchankau filed appeals with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the
Vitsebsk Regional Procuracy. They state that their freedom of expression,
guaranteed by Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, was
violated by the picket ban issued by the
the Orsha City Executive Committee.

The aim of the action was to support human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. The
formal reason for the ban was that the Orsha police refused to conclude the
agreement for guarding the action, explaining that all police officers would be
busy guarding youth discos at the specified time.

Vasil Berasneu and Vasil Leuchankau, in the their turn, state that that
concluding such an agreement with them was a duty of the police, because
according to the law “On police forces of the Republic of Belarus” the main
duties of the police are the protection of rights, liberties and lawful
interests of citizens of Belarus, and rendering assistance to citizens in
exercising their rights according to the conditions and rules provided by the
law.

The human rights defenders ask to find the ruling of the Orsha City Executive
Committee unlawful and draw the guilty officials to legal account.